Mid Hills Campground

One of the best kept secrets 2 hrs from Vegas. At 5600', it doesn't get too hot even in August (93F at 5 pm yesterday, 8/4). There are no trees in sight, until you get to the campground, then there are junipers and a few pines. Some slots are shady, some have awesome view, some are somewhere in the middle, some are simply brutally exposed to the elements.

This is a pretty great campground, with some caveats. I'll start with the good: sites are generally very spread out. There are 4 pairs of vault restrooms (so 8 in total), and they were clean and well maintained. Several sites had tree cover for shade. All sites had a table and fire ring, and I think all fire rings had grates. There was also a hill at the back of the campground where you could walk up and get a fantastic view of both the campground and the Mojave.

Now the cons: Currently there is no potable water on site. This might have been caused by the fire a few years prior, as there are non-working pumps around. So, maybe this will be fixed in the future. I'd also say that many of the sites are poorly maintained, with vegetation growing all around, or the parking spot being rutted out. A few sites had been reclaimed by nature, with no markings for parking and just a lone table sitting in the scrub.

Overall, I'd say there are maybe 10 decent sites, most of them good for tent campers. Some of the sites also have a lot of area for parking and tents (one would even work as a group site). And because of the elevation, it's going to be more comfortable for more of the year than Hole in the Wall.

Mid Hills Campground is centrally located in the Mojave National Preserve. There are a number of hunting, hiking, equestrian, 4WD, biking, wild-flowers, backpacking/back-country activities in the surrounding area. Access the campground by select paved to improved (dirt) roads suitable for standard automobiles. There is a pinyon pine grove at the back loop that provides shade and acts as a wind block for a number of campsites. Camps are relatively flat or slightly sloping, with fire rings and wooden tables. Clean vault toilets and trash cans are centrally located throughout the campground. Plan ahead and prepare, always check the weather and note that there is no water nor gasoline stations inside the preserve.

Stayed three nights and were the only campers there for two of them. No water available so come prepared particularly in summer months. A fire came through in 2004 and wiped out most of the pinion pines and juniper trees so it's kind of desolate but there are campsites that are sheltered by some remaining trees.

Had planned to camp at JTNP but arrived after all sites had been filled (Memorial Day Weekend). We decided to head to Mojave and hope to get a spot at one of the 2 sites available.. hole in the wall campground was also at capacity so we kept driving and stumbled upon this site.

What we liked;
Very very quiet and peacfull.
Neighboring campers were respectful
Has fire pits/grates and a picninc table
Views of the sky were stellar
Very Clean bathrooms
Not too expensive at $12 a night!

What we didnt like;
Very windy (which isn't really a note for the site but be sure the bring heavy duty stakes for your tent)
Can't buy firewood anywhere so bring your own
The road leading to the site is very bumpy (unless you're in a 4x4, you gotta go crazy slow)

Would definitely recommend this campsite.

Please be courteous to others and always remember leave no trace, pack in what you pack out. Let's keep these parks beautiful for others to enjoy.